63–30 BC: Caught Between Rome and Parthia, the Fall of the Artaxiads

If King Artag’s reign was about the shock of Rome’s arrival, his son Parnavaz II (often called Bartom in Georgian chronicles) had to live with the consequences. Ruling a client state is never easy, especially when the world is being torn apart by the clash of titans. Parnavaz II’s reign coincides with the final, bloody days of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire. He was a king forced to choose sides in a game where both outcomes meant death.

Parnavaz II is a tragic figure. He tried to reclaim his country’s sovereignty by gambling on an alliance with Rome’s arch-enemy, Parthia. It was a gamble that would cost him everything.

The Great Game: Rome vs. Parthia

After Pompey left, Iberia remained technically independent but subservient to Rome. Parnavaz II resented this. He looked East to the Parthian Empire (Iran), which had recently crushed the Roman general Crassus at the Battle of Carrhae. Seeing Rome distracted by its own civil wars (Caesar vs. Pompey), Parnavaz II aligned himself with the Parthians, hoping to throw off the Roman yoke.

But Rome has a long memory. In 36 BC, the famous Roman triumvir Mark Antony launched a massive campaign against Parthia. He sent his trusted general, Publius Canidius Crassus, to secure his northern flank in the Caucasus. Once again, legions marched on Mtskheta.

The Invasion of Canidius

Unlike his father Artag, Parnavaz II faced a Roman general who was ruthless and efficient. Canidius Crassus swept through the region, defeating Parnavaz II in battle. The Iberian king was forced to surrender. But Canidius did not just want submission; he wanted soldiers.

Parnavaz II was compelled to become a “socius” (ally) in the truest sense. He had to march his own Georgian army alongside the Romans to fight against the King of Albania (modern-day Azerbaijan) and then against Parthia. Imagine the humiliation: fighting and dying for the empire that conquered you, against neighbors who should have been your allies.

The Avenger Returns

While Parnavaz II was distracted by Roman wars, a threat was growing closer to home. The original Pharnavazid dynasty, which had been ousted by the Artaxiads decades earlier, had not died out. Prince Mirian, the son of the slain King Parnajom, had been raised in the Persian court. He was now a grown man, a warrior, and he wanted his father’s throne back.

When Mark Antony’s campaign in Parthia ended in disaster and Roman attention turned to the civil war between Antony and Octavian (Augustus), the Parthians saw an opening. They gave Mirian an army.

The Final Battle

In 30 BC, Mirian invaded Iberia with Persian support. Parnavaz II found himself isolated. Rome was too busy fighting itself to help a client king in the Caucasus. The people of Iberia, tired of Roman wars and remembering the ancient lineage of Pharnavaz I, largely supported the returning exile.

Parnavaz II met Mirian in battle and was killed. His death marked the end of the Artaxiad Dynasty in Iberia. The crown returned to the bloodline of the first king, closing a violent chapter of Georgian history.

Tourism Guide: The Gonio Fortress Connection

While Mtskheta was the capital, the Roman presence in this era extended to the coast:

  1. Gonio-Apsaros Fortress: Located near Batumi, this is the best-preserved Roman fortification in Georgia. While the current walls are later, the site was a major Roman outpost during the time of Pompey and Mark Antony. It is believed to be the burial place of Absyrtus (from the Argonaut myth), but historically, it was the anchor of Roman power that kept kings like Parnavaz II in check. Walking the walls here connects you to the global empire that suffocated Parnavaz’s reign.
  2. Mtskheta Archaeological Museum: Look for the “Roman period” artifacts. You will see Roman coins minted by Mark Antony, physical proof of the geopolitical web Parnavaz II was trapped in.

Parnavaz II’s story is a reminder of the dangers of being a small state buffer zone. He tried to play the superpowers against each other, but in the end, he was crushed between them.